Systems Neuroscience

I earned a neuroscience Ph.D in Shaowen Bao's laboratory at UC Berkeley. My doctoral work aimed to improve our understanding of plasticity in the auditory system during normal development, and in cases of trauma or disease. My research combined behavior, in-vivo electrophysiological methods, pharmacological and genetic manipulations, and statistical analysis techniques. I investigated homeostatic changes in the central auditory pathway following damages to peripheral sensory organs. My work aimed to gain new therapeutic insights into auditory processing disorders.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Prior to graduate school, I worked for four years as a research associate in Mark D’Esposito’s laboratory at UC Berkeley. Under supervision of Roshan Cools, I conducted a pharmacological multimodal (fMRI & PET) neuroimaging study to test how dopamine level in the brain affects working memory and prefrontal cortex metabolic activity. In addition, I worked with patients with Parkinson’s disease to test how the illness affects memory and learning capacity. Before starting the dopamine project, I worked with Christine Hooker to develop a cognitive rehabilitation program for patients with schizophrenia.